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Do you like the idea of a streaming media stick for your TV, but find that even Google's Chromecast or Amazon's Fire TV Stick costs more than you're willing to pay? You'll want to visit your local Walmart, then. The big-box retailer tellsGigaOM that its Vudu Spark dongle, teased at the FCC back in November, is already available at 2,400 stores for $25 -- that's at least $10 less than its big rivals, and as much as the upcoming Matchstick. More stores are coming soon, Walmart adds. It's a tempting offering, but there's a good reason why it's so affordable. As hinted earlier, the Spark is only useful for watching Vudu purchases and rentals. That's fine if you're not picky about how you get your movies and TV shows, but you may have to shell out more if you're determined to use Hulu, Netflix or any other online video service.

In the space of a few days, Sony Pictures' The Interview has gone from unreleased to impossible to avoid. Cable video on-demand operator inDemand has added the movie to its roster, so for $5.99, pretty much anyone with pay-TV service can rent it right now instead of needing one of Google's video services, Xbox or iTunes. It's also popped up on WalMart's video service Vudu in the past day, is available via DirecTV, and according to Variety, as of Friday the number of theaters where its playing will grow to 580, compared to 331 on Christmas Day. If you're still on the fence about viewing you can use our opinion or that of others, but the movie that couldn't be stopped by North Korea (and/or company insiders) has already reportedly brought Sony $15 million through its unconventional release.

If you're unwrapping the inevitable flood of Blu-ray gifts (hopefully no DVDs), it may be worth giving that digital copy code a second look. The movie studios' Ultraviolet scheme has been unwieldy (at best) since launch, but several upgrades have made it easier to use, and the Vudu store specifically is getting better at bringing your movies to whatever device you own. Its latest upgrade is much-needed UI refresh, which launched on many set-top boxes (PlayStation, Roku, Blu-ray players etc.) last month, and has now arrived for the iPhone and iPad.

Walmart looks set to launch a new streaming HDMI dongle resembling Google's Chromecast or Amazon's Fire TV Stick, but possibly lacking some of the features of those devices. Called the Vudu Spark, it leaked from the FCC's website, replete with multi-angle photos and a user manual. The document shows how to set up the Spark with your WiFi network, and that it'll basically do one thing: give you Vudu on your TV. That app is Walmart's answer to Netflix, serving up streaming movies and TV shows on demand.

TiVo owners who enjoy doing more than just recording TV shows just got another on-demand option. Walmart's video service, Vudu, will be available on select models soon, bringing over 100,000 movie and television selections for rent or purchase à la carte. In addition to feature films, Vudu serves up TV shows from CBS, Comedy Central, HBO, MTV, Showtime and more. Of course, the service is already available on the web, iOS, Android, Roku, Playstation, Xbox, smart TVs and Blu-ray players. The Vudu app is set to hit TiVo Roamio DVRs and the TiVo Mini "during a rolling update" in the next few weeks.

If you're really dedicated to a la carte TV, then maybe separating by channel isn't enough and it's time to buy only the shows or episodes of shows you really want. The only problem with that? On some services, if you buy a few episodes and then decide to grab the entire season later, that means paying twice for the same shows, but Vudu has added a fix, which it's pitching directly towards cord-cutters. In addition to the Season Pass that lets users buy shows as they're airing on TV, now there are options for Season Complete and Season Upgrade. Complete means just paying the price for the season, minus the price of the episodes you've already purchased, while Upgrade lets you jump from a low-res standard definition copy to HD (720p) or HDX (1080p) by again just paying the difference in price. The iTunes store added a "Complete My Season" option to its TV store back in 2011, but it still isn't there for stores like Amazon and Google Play. Vudu is available on many more devices than Apple's digital store, so if you're building out your TV library episode by episode and season by season, now there's one more option.

While Ultraviolet digital copies have been pitched as a way to make watching videos online easier, so far they've lead to frustration for many users. A recent incident involving the early release of Veronica Mars for Kickstarter backers was a low point, Apple, Google and Microsoft all have yet to tie their services in, and now Disney is finally rolling out its own Movies Anywhere system. To get back on the positive foot, Walmart's Vudu streaming service is shining a light on Ultraviolet's ability to let users share their library with up to five friends (no, it's not quite as easy as sharing a PS4 game). Now available within Vudu under the title of "Share My Movies" it lets users add friends to their library just by sending an e-mail invite. Ultraviolet supports up to three simultaneous streams, so you can even watch movies at the same time. According to the FAQ, once your Vudu account is linked to another person's library, any TV shows or movies you purchase will be added to that library, so you may want to be careful which ones you add. Done right between a few friends, it can probably add up to a decent online library of movies to watch just from Blu-ray discs and DVDs you already own -- check the blog post for more information.

After a short test period, Walmart's movie streaming service Vudu has launched Chromecast support across its website and mobile apps, adding to the long list of devices it's already available on. A far cry from Vudu's $399 set-top box that launched in 2007, owners of Google's $35 HDMI dongle can now stream their entire collection of movies and TV shows in 1080p with just a press of the Cast button. That includes Ultraviolet digital copies, and while the code redemption process has been a source of frustration for many, Chromecast support means easy and cheap access without needing to log in, activate another device or set up an account again. In updated apps on Android or iOS the feature should already be live, and on Vudu.com if you have the Google Cast browser extension installed.

There isn't exactly an abundance of major movie services that will send video to a Chromecast; for the most part, Google Play Movies and Netflix still rule the roost. It's a good thing, then, that Vudu has announced plans to support the TV media adapter through both updated mobile apps and Chrome on the desktop. The provider won't say just when Chromecast support is coming other than "soon," but early adopters can register for a beta test. Either way, it's clear that Vudu still wants its video platform on everylivingroomdevice you own.

Vudu is joining Netflix in trying to put another nail in DVD's coffin by offering interactive features for select Sony films. The Walmart-owned streamer calls the new service Vudu Extras+, and kicked it off today with deleted scenes, featurettes and trivia from Sony's District 9 alien flick. Other perks include an "enhanced scene search" for dialogue, videos, photos and more, along with "clip and share," which lets you grab and share film snippets on Facebook and Twitter. Netflix mentioned it will test similar features for its original shows like House of Cards, and could expand it to other content if it catches on. Film buffs may stick with Blu-ray for director commentary, subtitles and the like, but we wouldn't be shocked to see those technical obstacles hurdled soon, too.

The Google Fiber Android app got an update today that adds support for Vudu, adding another over-the-top video service along with Netflix and YouTube. The support pages for its Vudu setup seemingly date back to August 5th, but we haven't heard anything about the launch from either company. According to its change log, the update will allow viewers to search for and view content across their TV and mobile screens, although the iPad app hasn't received any update yet. Also new to the Android version are channel shortcuts in the main menu for faster switching back and forth. This addition should bring Ultraviolet digital copies to Google's TV service, although the support page notes users will have to login to Vudu separately on each set-top box. That is, assuming they're lucky enough to live in a place where Google Fiber is available.

Update: Google put up a blog post mentioning the feature's launch, and confirms the Google Fiber iPad app will be updated to support Vudu.

Vudu's player for Android launched last year with tablet support, and now a new update lets it work on a limited selection of phones. Newer Samsung handsets, the Nexus 4, HTC One and several other devices round out the list, as the app works for either streaming or downloading movies. It worked without issue on our Nexus 4, however since its UI hasn't changed from the tablet version some of the buttons were smaller than we'd like. Also, we couldn't get the video to play in any res beyond SD so it wasn't the sharpest, but there was a high enough bitrate to make movie-watching enjoyable on the small screen. As usual, the app is free, if you have an account with the VOD / Ultraviolet service hit the Play Store link below to see if works on your hardware of choice.

It took some time to work out most of the bugs, but Vudu is finally expanding its beta of its home-based disc-to-digital service. The idea and the price are still the same as when the private beta launched, but what's new is support for OS X, plus an improved user experience and disc identification powered by Gracenote. We gave it a try and found the process couldn't be any easier or more straight forward. To get others to try it out, Vudu is giving away the first conversion on the house and if you're willing to convert ten or more movies then you'll get a 50 percent discount. After converting a DVD to HDX we were instantly able to turn around and start watching it, far faster than any disc ripping software we've used. Add in the newfound ability to download movies to iOS and Android devices and UltraViolet is really shaping up -- though we're still waiting for that common file format to move copies between devices easily and single sign-on to fix the login mess.

Wal-Mart-owned video-on-demand service Vudu has updated its iOS apps to allow movie downloads for offline viewing. The Android phone version of the app has had this feature for awhile, but Android tablets are still unable to download and view their Vudu/Ultraviolet collection on their tablets.

Other additions to the update include a reworked player to make the app easier to use, as well as support for closed captions on the iPhone. It's worth noting that the Flixter iOS app already allowed for Ultraviolet downloads. Ultraviolet is a digital rights authentication service that allows DVD and Blu-ray buyers to redeem unique download codes for digital viewing later.

Coming months after the feature's introduction on Android and PCs, Vudu has updated the iOS version of its app with the ability to download movies for viewing offline. Unlike the Android version, this feature is not restricted to tablets however, with downloads of your Vudu / Ultraviolet collection on iPads and iPhones. Other tweaks include making the Player "easier to use" and adding closed captions on iPhone. The Flixster app already allowed for Ultraviolet movie downloads on iOS, however Vudu has access to some movies that may not be available there. The updated version of the free app is available on on iTunes, although you will need an associated account (with updated password info) with unlocked videos to get any use out of it.

Usually when customer info is snatched up by a ne'er-do-well, it's done digitally. Video streaming service Vudu, however, was the victim of an old fashioned burglary on March 24th of this year when someone broke into its offices and stole hard drives with customer data on them. According to an e-mail sent out to users today, those HDDs "contained customer information, including names, email addresses, postal addresses, phone numbers, account activity, dates of birth and the last four digits of some credit card numbers." Thankfully, the full CC numbers aren't kept by Vudu, but all the same, the service is giving affected accounts AllClear ID protection for free for one year. Vudu's also requiring users to reset their passwords today -- despite the fact that the passwords on the stolen drives are encrypted -- to ensure that everything will be safe and sound moving forward.

Boxee's second box is getting a fresh round of updates, as GigaOm points out software version 2.1.0.7781 has been detailed and is rolling out. It includes features that appeal to classic Boxee fans like support for DLNA rendering that lets it browse and play files from PCs or other devices on the same network and DMR that lets users push media to it from apps like Skifta. For more traditional viewers, the update also brings a standard TV guide users can pull up by selecting "TV" on the home screen, the ability to schedule and manage DVR recordings from antenna on the box itself (previously only possible via webpage for the still-in-beta feature), notifications for upcoming recordings and even 3D support in the Vudu app. Boxee co-founder Idan Cohen joined us at Expand and mentioned some of the other updates the team is working on, we'll see if oft-requested features like the ability to pause live TV are added any time soon. Hit the source link for the full list of changes, current owners should see the new software arrive over the next few days.

Vizio's Co-Star hub is still one of the cheapest points of entry into the Google TV world, so it's comforting to see the set-top box getting an update -- albeit somewhat behind Google's own pace. The previously promised release mostly focuses on giving it the third-generation Google TV interface, including the mini-guide, YouTube pairing and (through a future Android app update) voice-guided search. Viewers on the prowl for more content get a few additional perks through new apps for M-Go and Vudu video streaming, as well as a truly native Amazon Instant Video app. Should Vizio's tiny media center inhabit your living room, you can expect the upgrade to arrive over the air within the next few weeks.

As promised, Vudu has taken the trip to Wally World out of the process used to watch your discs via UltraViolet streaming apps and sites -- the legit way. Just like the in-store process, DVDs or Blu-rays can be leveraged to buy digital versions of the movie anywhere UltraViolet movies are available. Going from a DVD to an standard definition copy will run you $2, while upgrading to HD is $5 -- Blu-ray to HD is also $2 -- which is the exact same pricing as the in-store offering. Those who want to convert a few titles, and are lucky enough to get invited to the beta, can download the Windows-only application to a computer that has the required optical disc drive. Mac support is promised soon, but with the limited number of Macs with Blu-ray drives, we'd suspect that version will only work with DVDs.

Whenever you ask a friend to suggest a good TV show, they often just bellow praise for The Wire, Breaking Bad or My Little Pony -- not useful if your tastes are a little more diverse. That's why major players Time Warner and Vudu have signed up Jinni's taste engine to build into their platforms to help you find entertainment -- no more boring grid-style guides, Jinni promises. We're apparently entering, "a new era of intuitive, personalized user experience," which sounds perfectly swell to us. A duo of European providers are also hopping on board -- Bouygues Telecom and C More Entertainment -- as well as Asia's SingTel and Africa's Multichoice.

Nobody's talking specifics on when we'll see these metadata-pulling suggestions appear in homes, but if your horizons suddenly start to broaden, you know who to blame.

Among the many, many things that LG is unveiling at CES this year is the curious addition of a sound bar with built-in video streaming. That still sounds like a contradiction of purpose to us, but the Smart Sound Bar, also known as the NB3730A, is more fascinating once you dive into the details. The large-sized bar pumps out 300W across its 2.1 channels, and its WiFi takes internet audio and video from CinemaNow, general internet radio, Netflix, Pandora and Vudu. Bluetooth audio is built-in as well. It's ultimately built for those who don't have an online-capable TV, Blu-ray player or media hub at their disposal -- a group whose ranks are thinning quickly, but certainly still exists.

We got a quick glance at the Smart Sound Bar for ourselves. From a design perspective, it's simple to operate and thin, if not exactly short. This won't be a good fit for that small TV in the basement, then, although it's perfect for that big wall-mounted set. We'd like to tell you how well it works in real life, but expo conditions dictate otherwise: LG unfortunately lacks an internet connection for the sound bar on demo, and an extra-crowded booth isn't the ideal environment for gauging audio quality. If you're mostly wondering whether or not it will fit into the living room decor, however, we've got a gallery for you below.

Modern Blu-ray players also make full-featured media streamers so in addition to Panasonic's four new Blu-ray players for 2013, there are two new boxes with Viera Connect (Netflix, HuluPlus, Amazon Instant Video, Vudu, CinemaNow and YouTube) sans optical disc drives. The 2D DMP-BD79 Blu-ray player is the only one in the lineup without built-in WiFi, while the high-end DMP-BDP330 is the only new Blu-ray model with 4K up-scaling, a web browser and two HDMI outputs. Like the 330, the DMP-BDP230 also does 2D-3D conversion and features Display Mirroring with select Andriod phones and tablets as well as featuring Miracast -- the DMP-MST60 and DMP-MS10 media streamers also do mirroring and Miracast. The entire lineup will be available in February, but there's no mention in the following press releases of the price.

Walmart Entertainment launched its in-store disc-to-digital UltraViolet conversion early last year, and now it's making the process a bit simpler by letting customers do it by themselves at home. Powered by the Vudu To Go app for Mac and Windows PCs that already lets viewers stream or download movies in up to 1080p, they can search for previously purchased movies from participating studios (DreamWorks Animation, Lionsgate, MGM Studios, Paramount Home Media Distribution, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, Universal Studios Home Entertainment and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment) and then convert them: DVD to SD or Blu-ray to HD for $2, DVD to HD for $5. Like the beta feature recently launched by Best Buy's CinemaNow, the app authorizes the copy and then you can watch it through any of the numerous Vudu / UltraViolet-ready devices and services merely by logging in.

One other new feature on the way is the ability for Vudu users on iOS to download copies to their devices for viewing offline. We first saw the feature on mobiles when its Android tablet app launched last month, and it will come to the Apple family of hardware in mid-February. One other note as Walmart attempts to expand its "Entertainment" brand is a Facebook app that will let its fans read and submit reviews and also vote on which movies will be offered for sale in-store and online. Still need a reason to give UltraViolet a try? Vudu is tossing new users 10 free pre-selected movies just for linking their account or signing up. Check out the full list of details in the press release after the break or hit the source link to see if it's live.

Coming about a year after its launch on iOS, Walmart-owned Vudu has opened up access to its (UltraViolet-connected) movie library on Android. Interestingly, it's included a key feature not currently available in the iPad and iPhone Vudu Player app: users can download videos for offline viewing just like they do on PCs, not just streaming over WiFi in the browser. A free app ready for download to "select" Android tablets, there's no word on when or if it will appear on phones, but we're told the list of supported devices will continue to grow.

Vudu also notes in the press release (included after the break) that as of last month, its Xbox 360 app has been updated to support 1080p HDX streaming video. Do you really need another reason to give it a shot? If so, try this one on -- all new users who activate an UltraViolet account between now and March get 10 free movies. There's still the pain of creating multiple logins for the virtual locker, but between Vudu and Flixster offers you should be able to snag a bunch of free flicks watchable anywhere on your Android device without spending a cent (or hunting through torrents and the like, your choice).

While HDX video has been a trademark for the Vudu service for years, when it launched streaming and Vudu-to-go downloads for PCs last year, they were limited to standard definition. That's been corrected recently, as the service is now offering 1080p or 720p HDX video via the web. What you still won't get on the PC unfortunately is higher quality sound as it's still limited to stereo audio for now, and in our tests we weren't able to access the Flash streams on a phone or tablet. Just log into the website and you should be able to try it out for yourself, however you will need adequate internet speed and an HDCP-compliant display -- check out the details at the link below.